Letter to a Young Widow

Introduction to the Letter to a Young Widow

The date of the following letter can be determined within very narrow
limits. It contains a reference (c. 5) to the defeat and death of the
Emperor Valens in the battle with the Goths at Hadrianople, in a.d.
378, as a recent event. The Emperor who is described as having
incessantly engaged in war ever since his accession (c. 4) must be
Theodosius, who succeeded Valens, and as the Goths are said to be
still overrunning large regions with impunity, and insolently mocking
the timidity of the imperial troops (ib.) the letter must have been
written prior to the crushing defeat which Theodosius inflicted on
them in 382. The whole epistle is deeply tinged with that profound
sense of the unhappiness and instability of human life which the moral
corruption of society and recent calamities of the empire impressed
with peculiar force on the minds of men; producing too often amongst
Pagans either a cynical gloom or reckless indifference, but leading
Christians to cling more closely and earnestly to the hopes and
consolations of the Gospel.

Letter to a Young Widow.

1. That you have sustained a severe blow, and that the weapon directed
from above has been planted in a vital part all will readily admit,
and none even of the most rigid moralists will deny it; but since they
who are stricken with sorrow ought not to spend their whole time in
mourning and tears, but to make good provision also for the healing of
their wounds, lest, if they be neglected their tears should aggravate
the wound, and the fire of their sorrow become inflamed, it is a good
thing to listen to words of consolation, and restraining for a brief
season at least the fountain of thy tears to surrender thyself to
those who endeavour to console thee. On this account I abstained from
troubling you when your sorrow was at its height, and the thunderbolt
had only just fallen upon you; but having waited an interval and
permitted you to take your fill of mourning, now that you are able to
look out a little through the mist, and to open your ears to those who
attempt to comfort you, I also would second the words of your
handmaids by some contributions of my own. For whilst the tempest is
still severe, and a full gale of sorrow is blowing, he who exhorts
another to desist from grief would only provoke him to increased
lamentations and having incurred his hatred would add fuel to the
flame by such speeches besides being regarded himself as an unkind and
foolish person. But when the troubled water has begun to subside, and
God has allayed the fury of the waves, then we may freely spread the
sails of our discourse. For in a moderate storm skill may perhaps play
its part; but when the onslaught of the wind is irresistible
experience is of no avail. For these reasons I have hitherto held my
peace, and even now have only just ventured to break silence because I
have heard from thy uncle that one may begin to take courage, as some
of your more esteemed handmaids are now venturing to discourse at
length upon these matters, women also outside your own household, who
are your kinsfolk, or are otherwise qualified for this office. Now if
you allow them to talk to you I have the greatest hope and confidence
that you will not disdain my words but do your best to give them a
calm and quiet hearing. Under any circumstances indeed the female sex
is the more apt to be sensitive to suffering; but when in addition
there is youth, and untimely widowhood, and inexperience in business,
and a great crowd of cares, while the whole life previously has been
nurtured in the midst of luxury, and cheerfulness and wealth, the evil
is increased many fold, and if she who is subjected to it does not
obtain help from on high even an accidental thought will be able to
unhinge her. Now I hold this to be the foremost and greatest evidence
of God's care concerning thee; for that thou hast not been overwhelmed
by grief, nor driven out of thy natural condition of mind when such
great troubles suddenly concurred to afflict thee was not due to any
human assistance but to the almighty hand the understanding of which
there is no measure, the wisdom which is past finding out, the "Father
of mercies and the God of all comfort." [334] "For He Himself" it is
said "hath smitten us, and He will heal us; He will strike, and He
will dress the wound and make us whole." [335]

For as long as that blessed husband of thine was with thee, thou didst
enjoy honour, and care and zealous attention; in fact you enjoyed such
as you might expect to enjoy from a husband; but since God took him to
Himself He has supplied his place to thee. And this is not my saying
but that of the blessed prophet David for he says "He will take up the
fatherless and the widow," [336] and elsewhere he calls Him "father of
the fatherless and judge of the widow;" [337] thus in many passages
thou wilt see that He earnestly considereth the cause of this class of
mankind.

2. But lest the continual repetition of this name of widow should
upset thy soul, and disconcert thy reason, having been inflicted on
thee in the very flower of thy age, I wish first of all to discourse
on this point, and to prove to you that this name of widow is not a
title of calamity but of honour, aye the greatest honour. For do not
quote the erroneous opinion of the world as a testimony, but the
admonition of the blessed Paul, or rather of Christ. For in his
utterances Christ was speaking through him as he himself said "If ye
seek a proof of Christ who is speaking in me?" [338] What then does he
say? "Let not a widow be enrolled under threescore years of age" and
again "but the younger widows refuse" [339] intending by both these
sayings to indicate to us the importance of the matter. And when he is
making regulations about bishops he nowhere prescribes a standard of
age, but in this case he is very particular on the point, and, pray,
why so? not because widowhood is greater than priesthood, but because
widows have greater labour to undergo than priests, being encompassed
on many sides by a variety of business public and private. For as an
unfortified city lies exposed to all who wish to plunder it, so a
young woman living in widowhood has many who form designs upon her on
every side not only those who aim at getting her money but also those
who are bent upon corrupting her modesty. And besides these we shall
find that she is subjected to other conditions also likely to occasion
her fall. For the contempt of servants their negligence of business,
the loss of that respect which was formerly paid, the sight of
contemporaries in prosperity, and often the hankering after luxury,
induce women to engage in a second marriage. Some there are who do not
choose to unite themselves to men by the law of marriage, but do so
secretly and clandestinely. And they act thus in order to enjoy the
praise of widowhood; thus it is a state which seems to be not
reproached, but admired and deemed worthy of honour among men, not
only amongst us who believe, but even amongst unbelievers also. For
once when I was still a young man I know that the sophist who taught
me [340] (and he exceeded all men in his reverence for the gods)
expressed admiration for my mother before a large company. For
enquiring, as was his wont, of those who sat beside him who I was, and
some one having said that I was the son of a woman who was a widow, he
asked of me the age of my mother and the duration of her widowhood,
and when I told him that she was forty years of age of which twenty
had elapsed since she lost my father he was astonished and uttered a
loud exclamation, and turning to those present "Heavens!" cried he
"what women there are amongst the Christians." So great is the
admiration and praise enjoyed by widowhood not only amongst ourselves,
but also a amongst those who are outside the Church. And being aware
of all this the blessed Paul said "Let not a widow be enrolled under
threescore years of age." And even after this great qualification of
age he does not permit her to be ranked in this sacred society but
mentions some additional requisites "well reported of for good works,
if she have brought up children if she have lodged strangers if she
have washed the saints feet if she have relieved the afflicted, if she
have diligently followed every good work." [341] Heavens! what testing
and scrutiny! how much virtue does he demand from the widow, and how
precisely does he define it! which he would not have done, had he not
intended to entrust to her a position of honour and dignity. And "the
younger widows" he says "refuse;" and then he adds the reason: "for
when they have waxed wanton against Christ they will marry." [342] By
this expression he gives us to understand that they who have lost
their husbands are wedded to Christ in their stead. Observe how he
asserts this by way of indicating the mild and easy nature of this
union; I refer to the passage "when they have waxed wanton against
Christ they will marry," as if He were some gentle husband who did not
exercise authority over them, but suffered them to live in freedom.
Neither did Paul confine his discourse on the subject to these
remarks, but also in another place again he has manifested great
anxiety about it where he says "Now she who liveth in pleasure is dead
while she liveth; but she who is a widow indeed and desolate hath set
her hope in God, and continueth in prayers and supplications day and
night." [343] And writing to the Corinthians he says "But she is more
blessed if she abide thus." [344] You see what great praise is
bestowed upon widowhood, and this in the New Testament, when the
beauty of virginity also was clearly brought to light. Nevertheless
even the lustre of this state could not obscure the glories of
widowhood, which shines on brightly all the same, keeping its own
value. When then we make mention of widowhood from time to time, do
not be cast down, nor consider the matter a reproach; for if this be a
matter of reproach, far more so is virginity. But this is not the
case; no! God forbid. For inasmuch as we all admire and welcome women
who live continently whilst their husbands are yet alive must we not
be delighted with those who manifest the same good feeling concerning
their husbands when they have departed this, life, and praise them
accordingly? As I was saying then, as long as you lived with the
blessed Therasius you enjoyed honour and consideration such as is
natural for a wife to receive from a husband; but now in his place you
have God who is the Lord of all, who hath of old been thy protector
and will be so now still more and with yet greater earnestness; and as
I have already said He hath displayed no slight token of his
providential care by having preserved thee whole and unharmed in the
midst of such a furnace of anxiety and sorrow, and not suffering thee
to undergo anything undesirable. Now if He has not permitted any
shipwreck to take place in the midst of so much rough water, much more
will He preserve thy soul in calm weather and lighten the burden of
thy widowhood, and the consequences of it which seem to be so
terrible.

3. Now if it is not the name of widow which distresses you, but the
loss of such a husband I grant you that all the world over amongst men
engaged in secular affairs there have been few like him, so
affectionate, so gentle, so humble, so sincere, so understanding, so
devout. And certainly if he had altogether perished, and utterly
ceased to be, it would be right to be distressed, and sorrowful; but
if he has only sailed into the tranquil haven, and taken his journey
to Him who is really his king, one ought not to mourn but to rejoice
on these accounts. For this death is not death, but only a kind of
emigration and translation from the worse to the better, from earth to
heaven, from men to angels, and archangels, and Him who is the Lord of
angels and archangels. For here on earth whilst he was serving the
emperor there were dangers to be expected and many plots arising from
men who bore ill-will, for in proportion as his reputation increased
did the designs also of enemies abound; but now that he has departed
to the other world none of these things can be suspected. Wherefore in
proportion as you grieve that God has taken away one who was so good
and worthy you ought to rejoice that he has departed in much safety
and honour, and being released from the trouble which besets this
present season of danger, is in great peace and tranquillity. For is
it not out of place to acknowledge that heaven is far better than
earth, and yet to mourn those who are translated from this world to
the other? For if that blessed husband of thine had been one of those
who lived a shameful life contrary to what God approved it would have
been right to bewail and lament for him not only when he had departed,
but whilst he was still living; but inasmuch as he was one of those
who are the friends of God we should take pleasure in him not only
whilst living, but also when he has been laid to rest. And that we
ought to act thus thou hast surely heard the words of the blessed Paul
"to depart and to be with Christ which is far better." [345] But
perhaps you long to hear your husband's words, and enjoy the affection
which you bestowed upon him, and you yearn for his society, and the
glory which you had on his account, and the splendour, and honour, and
security, and all these things being gone distress and darken your
life. Well! the affection which you be stowed on him you can keep now
just as you formerly did.

For such is the power of love, it embraces, and unites, and fastens
together not only those who are present, and near, and visible but
also those who are far distant; and neither length of time, nor
separation in space, nor anything else of that kind can break up and
sunder in pieces the affection of the soul. But if you wish to behold
him face to face (for this I know is what you specially long for) keep
thy bed in his honour sacred from the touch of any other man, and do
thy best to manifest a life like his, and then assuredly thou shalt
depart one day to join the same company with him, not to dwell with
him for five years as thou didst here, nor for 20, or 100, nor for a
thousand or twice that number but for infinite and endless ages. For
it is not any physical relation, but a correspondence in the way of
living which qualifies for the inheritance of those regions of rest.
For if it was identity of moral constitution which brought Lazarus
although a stranger to Abraham into the same heavenly bosom with him,
and qualifies many from east and west to sit down with him, the place
of rest will receive thee also with the good Therasius, if thou wilt
exhibit the same manner of life as his, and then thou shalt receive
him back again no longer in that corporeal beauty which he had when he
departed, but in lustre of another kind, and splendour outshining the
rays of the sun. For this body, even if it reaches a very high
standard of beauty is nevertheless perishable; but the bodies of those
who have been well pleasing to God, will be invested with such glory
as these eyes cannot even look upon. And God has furnished us with
certain tokens, and obscure indications of these things both in the
Old and in the New Dispensation. For in the former the face of Moses
shone with such glory as to be intolerable to the eyes of the
Israelites, and in the New the face of Christ shone far more
brilliantly than his. For tell me if any one had promised to make your
husband king of all the earth, and then had commanded you to withdraw
for twenty years on his account, and had promised after that to
restore him to you with the diadem and the purple, and to place you
again in the same rank with him, would you not have meekly endured the
separation with due self-control? Would you not have been well pleased
with the gift, and deemed it a thing worth praying for? Well then
submit to this now, not for the sake of a kingdom on earth, but of a
kingdom in Heaven; not to receive him back clad in a vesture of gold
but robed in immortality and glory such as is fitting for them to have
who dwell in Heaven. And if you find the trial very unbearable owing
to its long duration, it may be that he will visit you by means of
visions and converse with you as he was wont to do, and show you the
face for which you yearn: let this be thy consolation taking the place
of letters, though indeed it is far more definite than letters. For in
the latter case there are but lines traced with the pen to look upon,
but in the former you see the form of his visage, and his gentle
smile, his figure and his movements, you hear his speech and recognize
the voice which you loved so well.

4. But since you mourn also over the loss of security which you
formerly enjoyed on his account, and perhaps also for the sake of
those great hopes of distinction which were dawning (for I used to
hear that he would speedily arrive at the dignity of præfect, and
this, I fancy, it is which more especially upsets and distresses thy
soul) consider I pray the case of those who have been in a higher
official position than his, and yet have brought their life to a very
pitiable end. Let me recall them to your memory: you probably know
Theodore of Sicily by reputation: [346] for he was one of the most
distinguished men; he surpassed all in bodily stature and beauty as
well as in the confidence which he enjoyed with the Emperor, and he
had more power than any member of the royal household, but he did not
bear this prosperity meekly, and having entered into a plot against
the Emperor he was taken prisoner and miserably beheaded; and his wife
who was not a whit inferior to thy noble self in education and birth
and all other respects was suddenly stripped of all her possessions,
deprived even of her freedom also, and enrolled amongst the household
slaves, and compelled to lead a life more pitiable than any bondmaid,
having this advantage only over the rest that owing to the extreme
severity of her calamity she moved to tears all who beheld her. And it
is said also that Artemisia who was the wife of a man of high
reputation, since he also aimed at usurping the throne, was reduced to
this same condition of poverty, and also to blindness; for the depth
of her despondency, and the abundance of her tears destroyed her
sight; and now she has need of persons to lead her by the hand, and to
conduct her to the doors of others that she may obtain the necessary
supply of food. [347] And I might mention many other families which
have been brought down in this way did I not know thee to be too pious
and prudent in disposition to wish to find consolation for thy own
calamity out of the misfortunes of others. And the only reason why I
mentioned those instances to which I referred just now was that you
might learn that human things are nothingness but that truly as the
prophet says "all the glory of man is as the flower of grass." [348]
For in proportion to men's elevation and splendour is the ruin wrought
for them, not only in the case of those who are under rule, but also
of the rulers themselves. For it would be impossible to find any
private family which has been immersed in such great calamities as the
ills in which the imperial house has been steeped. For untimely loss
of parents, and of husbands, and violent forms of death, more
outrageous and painful than those which occur in tragedies, especially
beset this kind of government.

Now passing over ancient times, of those who have reigned in our own
generation, nine in all, only two have ended their life by a natural
death; and of the others one was slain by a usurper, [349] one in
battle, [350] one by a conspiracy of his household guards, [351] one
by the very man who elected him, and invested him with the purple,
[352] and of their wives some, as it is reported, perished by poison,
others died of mere sorrow; while of those who still survive one, who
has an orphan son, is trembling with alarm lest any of those who are
in power dreading what may happen in the future should destroy him;
[353] another has reluctantly yielded to much entreaty to return from
the exile into which she had been driven by him who held the chief
power. [354] And of the wives of the present rulers the one who has
recovered a little from her former calamities has much sorrow mingled
with her joy because the possessor of power is still young and
inexperienced and has many designing men on all sides of him; [355]
and the other is ready to die of fear, and spends her time more
miserably than criminals condemned to death because her husband ever
since he assumed the crown up to the present day has been constantly
engaged in warfare and fighting, and is more exhausted by the shame
and the reproaches which assail him on all sides than by actual
calamities. [356] For that which has never taken place has now come to
pass, the barbarians leaving their own country have overrun an
infinite space of our territory, and that many times over, and having
set fire to the land, and captured the towns they are not minded to
return home again, but after the manner of men who are keeping holiday
rather than making war, they laugh us all to scorn; [357] and it is
said that one of their kings declared that he was amazed at the
impudence of our soldiers, who although slaughtered more easily than
sheep still expect to conquer, and are not willing to quit their own
country; for he said that he himself was satiated with the work of
cutting them to pieces. Imagine what the feelings of the Emperor and
his wife must be on hearing these words!

5. And since I have made mention of this war, a great crowd of widows
has occurred to me, who in past times derived very great lustre from
the honour enjoyed by their husbands, but now are all arrayed in a
dark mourning robe and spend their whole time in lamentation. For they
had not the advantage which was enjoyed by thy dear self. For thou, my
excellent friend, didst see that goodly husband of thine lying on his
bed, and didst hear his last words, and receive his instructions as to
what should be done about the affairs of the family, and learn how by
the provisions of his will they were guarded against every kind of
encroachment on the part of rapacious and designing men. And not only
this, but also when he was yet lying dead thou didst often fling
thyself upon the body, and kiss his eyes, and embrace him, and wail
over him, and thou didst see him conducted to burial with much honour,
and didst everything necessary for his obsequies, as was fitting, and
from frequent visits to his grave thou hast no slight consolation of
thy sorrow. But these women have been deprived of all these things,
having all sent out their husbands to war in the hope of receiving
them back again, instead of which it has been their lot to receive the
bitter tidings of their death. Neither has any one come back to them
with the bodies of their slain, or bringing anything save a message
describing the manner of their death. And some there are who have not
even been vouchsafed this record, or been enabled to learn how their
husbands fell, as they were buried beneath a heap of slain in the
thick of battle.

And what wonder if most of the generals perished thus, when even the
Emperor himself having been blockaded in a certain village with a few
soldiers did not dare to go out and oppose the assailants, but
remained inside and when the enemy had set fire to the building was
burnt to death together with all that were therein, not men only, but
horses, beams and walls, so that the whole was turned into a heap of
ashes? And this was the tale which they who departed to war with the
Emperor brought back to his wife in place of the Emperor himself.
[358] For the splendours of the world differ in no-wise whatever from
the things which happen on the stage, and the beauty of spring
flowers. For in the first place they flee away before they have been
manifested; and then, even if they have strength to last a little
while, they speedily become ready to decay. For what is more worthless
than the honour and glory which is paid by the multitude? what fruit
has it? what kind of profit? what serviceable end does it meet? And
would that this only was the evil! but in fact besides failing to get
anything good from the possession, he who owns this most cruel
mistress is continually forced to bear much which is painful and
injurious; for mistress she is of those who own her, and in proportion
as she is flattered by her slaves does she exalt herself against them,
and ties them down by increasingly harsh commands; but she would never
be able to revenge herself on those who despise and neglect her; so
much fiercer is she than any tyrant and wild beast. For tyrants and
wild animals are often mollified by humouring, but her fury is
greatest when we are most complaisant to her, and if she finds any one
who will listen to her, and yield to her in everything there is no
kind of command from which in future she can be induced to abstain.
Moreover she has also another ally whom one would not do wrong to call
her daughter. For after she herself has grown to maturity and fairly
taken root amongst us, she then produces arrogance, a thing which is
no less able than herself to drive the soul of those who possess it
into headlong ruin.

6. Tell me then dost thou lament this that God hath reserved thee from
such a cruel bondage, and that He has barred every avenue against
these pestilential diseases? For whilst thy husband was living they
ceased not continually assaulting the thoughts of thy heart, but since
his death they have no starting point whence they can lay hold of thy
understanding. This then is a discipline which ought to be practised
in future--to abstain from lamenting the withdrawal of these evils,
and from hankering after the bitter tyranny which they exercise. For
where they blow a heavy blast they upset all things from the
foundation and shatter them to pieces; and just as many prostitutes,
although by nature ill favoured and ugly, do yet by means of enamels
and pigments excite the feelings of the youthful whilst they are still
tender, and when they have got them under their control treat them
more insolently than any slave; so also do these passions, vainglory
and arrogance, defile the souls of men more than any other kind of
pollution.

On this account also wealth has seemed to the majority of men to be a
good thing; at least when it is stripped of this passion of vainglory
it will no longer seem desirable. At any rate those who have been
permitted to obtain in the midst of their poverty popular glory have
no longer preferred wealth, but rather have despised much gold when it
was bestowed upon them. And you have no need to learn from me who
these men were, for you know them better than I do, Epaminondas,
Socrates, Aristeides, Diogenes, Krates who turned his own land into a
sheep walk. [359] The others indeed, inasmuch as it was not possible
for them to get rich, saw glory brought to them in the midst of their
poverty, and straightway devoted themselves to it, but this man threw
away even what he possessed; so infatuated were they in the pursuit of
this cruel monster. Let us not then weep because God has rescued us
from this shameful thraldom which is an object of derision and of much
reproach; for there is nothing splendid in it save the name it bears,
and in reality it places those who possess it in a position which
belies its appellation, and there is no one who does not laugh to
scorn the man who does anything with a view to glory. For it is only
he who has not an eye to this who will be enabled to win respect and
glory; but he who sets a great value on popular glory, and does and
endures everything for the sake of obtaining it is the very man who
will fail to attain it, and be subjected to all the exact opposites of
glory, ridicule, and accusation, scoffing, enmity and hatred. And this
is wont to happen not only among men, but also among you women, and
indeed more especially in your case. For the woman who is unaffected
in mien, and gait, and dress, and seeks no honour from any one is
admired by all women, and they are ecstatic in their praise and call
her blessed, and invoke all manner of good things upon her; but a
vain-glorious woman they behold with aversion and detestation, and
avoid her like some wild beast and load her with infinite execrations
and abuse. And not only do we escape these evils by refusing to accept
popular glory, but we shall gain the highest advantages in addition to
those which have been already mentioned, being trained gradually to
loosen our hold of earth and move in the direction of heaven, and
despise all worldly things. For he who feels no need of the honour
which comes from men, will perform with security whatever good things
he does, and neither in the troubles, nor in the prosperities of this
life will he be very seriously affected; for neither can the former
depress him, and cast him down, nor can the latter elate and puff him
up, but in precarious and troubled circumstances he himself remains
exempt from change of any kind. And this I expect will speedily be the
case with your own soul, and having once for all torn yourself away
from all worldly interests you will display amongst us a heavenly
manner of life, and in a little while will laugh to scorn the glory
which you now lament, and despise its hollow and vain mask. But if you
long for the security which you formerly enjoyed owing to your
husband, and the protection of your property, and immunity from the
designs of any of those persons who trample upon the misfortunes of
others "Cast thy care upon the Lord and He will nourish thee." [360]
"For look," it is said, "to past generations and see, who ever placed
his hope on the Lord and was put to shame, or who ever called upon
Him, and was neglected, or who ever remained constant to His
commandments and was forsaken?" [361] For He who has alleviated this
intolerable calamity, and placed you even now in a state of
tranquillity will also avert impending evils; for that you will never
receive another blow more severe than this you would yourself admit.
Having then so bravely borne present troubles, and this when you were
inexperienced, you will far more easily endure future events should
any of the things contrary to our wishes, which God forbid, occur.
Therefore seek Heaven, and all things which conduce to life in the
other world, and none of the things here will be able to harm thee,
not even the world-ruler of darkness himself, if only we do not injure
ourselves. For if any one deprives us of our substance, or hews our
body in pieces, none of these things concern us, if our soul abides in
its integrity.

7. Now, once for all, if you wish your property to abide with you in
security and yet further to increase I will show thee the plan, and
the place where none of those who have designs upon it will be allowed
to enter. What then is the place? It is Heaven. Send away thy
possessions to that good husband of thine and neither thief, nor
schemer, nor any other destructive thing will be able to pounce upon
them. If you deposit these goods in the other world, you will find
much profit arising from them. For all things which we plant in Heaven
yield a large and abundant crop, such as might naturally be expected
from things which have their roots in Heaven. And if you do this, see
what blessings you will enjoy, in the first place eternal life and the
things promised to those who love God, "which eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man," and in
the second place perpetual intercourse with thy good husband; and you
will relieve yourself from the cares and fears, and dangers, and
designs, and enmity and hatred which beset you here. For as long as
you are surrounded with this property there will probably be some to
make attempts upon it; but if you transfer it to Heaven, you will lead
a life of security and safety, and much tranquillity, enjoying
independence combined with godliness. For it is very irrational, when
one wishes to buy land, and is seeking for productive ground, if,
Heaven being proposed to him instead of earth, and the possibility
presented of obtaining an estate there he abides still on earth, and
puts up with the toils that are connected with it; for it often
disappoints our hopes.

But since thy soul is grievously upset and vexed on account of the
expectation often entertained that thy husband would attain the rank
of prefect, and the thought that he was untimely snatched away from
that dignity consider first of all this fact, that even if this hope
was a very well grounded one nevertheless it was only a human hope,
which often falls to the ground; and we see many things of this kind
happening in life, those which were confidently expected having
remained unfulfilled, whereas those which never even entered the mind
have frequently come to pass, and this we constantly see occurring
everywhere in cases of governments and kingdoms, and inheritances, and
marriages. Wherefore even if the opportunity were very near at hand,
yet as the proverb says "between the cup and the lip there is many a
slip" and the Scripture saith "from the morning until the evening the
time is changed." [362]

So also a king who is here to-day is dead tomorrow; and again this
same wise man illustrating the reversal of men's hopes says "many
tyrants have sat down upon the ground, and one that was never thought
of has worn the crown." [363] And it was not absolutely certain that
if he lived he would arrive at this dignity; for that which belongs to
the future is uncertain, and causes us to have various suspicions. For
on what grounds was it evident that had he lived he would have
attained that dignity and that things would not have turned out the
other way, and that he would have lost the office he actually held
either from falling a victim to disease, or from being exposed to the
envy and ill will of those who wished to excel him in prosperity, or
from suffering some other grievous misfortune. But let us suppose, if
you please, that it was perfectly evident that in any case had he
survived he would have obtained this high distinction; then in
proportion to the magnitude of the dignity would have been the
increased dangers, and anxieties, and intrigues which he must have
encountered. Or put these even on one side, and let us suppose him to
traverse that sea of difficulties safely, and in much tranquillity;
then tell me what is the goal? not that which he has now reached; no,
not that, but something different, probably unpleasant and
undesirable. In the first place his sight of heaven, and heavenly
things would have been delayed, which is no small loss to those who
have put their trust in things to come; and in the next place, even
had he lived a very pure life yet the length of his life and the
exigencies of his high office would have prevented his departing in
such a pure condition as has now been the case. In fact it is
uncertain whether he might not have undergone many changes and given
way to indolence before he breathed his last. For now we are confident
that by the grace of God he has taken his flight to the region of
rest, because he had not committed himself to any of those deeds which
exclude from the kingdom of Heaven; but in that case after long
contact with public business, he might probably have contracted great
defilement. For it is an exceedingly rare thing for one who is moving
in the midst of such great evils to hold a straight course, but to go
astray, both wittingly and against his will, is a natural thing, and
one which constantly occurs. But, as it is, we have been relieved from
this apprehension, and we are firmly persuaded that in the great day
he will appear in much radiance, shining forth near the King, and
going with the angels in advance of Christ and clad with the robe of
unutterable glory, and standing by the side of the King as he gives
judgment, and acting as one of His chief ministers. Wherefore
desisting from mourning and lamentation do thou hold on to the same
way of life as his, yea even let it be more exact, that having
speedily attained an equal standard of virtue with him, you may
inhabit the same abode and be united to him again through the
everlasting ages, not in this union of marriage but another far
better. For this is only a bodily kind of intercourse, but then there
will be a union of soul with soul more perfect, and of a far more
delightful and far nobler kind.

Footnotes

[334] 2 Cor. i. 3.
[335] Hosea vi. 2.
[336] Ps. cxlvi. 9.
[337] Ps. lxviii. 5.
[338] 2 Cor. xiii. 3.
[339] 1 Tim. v. 9, 11.
[340] Libanius.
[341] 1 Tim. v. 10.
[342] 1 Tim. v. 11.
[343] 1 Tim. v. 6, 5.
[344] 1 Cor. vii. 40.
[345] Phil. i. 33.
[346] According to Ammianus Marcellinus, B. xxxiv., this Theodore was
a native of Gaul. He is probably called Theodore of Sicily by
Chrysostom because he attempted to make himself a tyrant in that
island. He was executed for treason in the year 371.
[347] I have not been able to discover any further information
concerning Artemisia or her husband.
[348] Is. xl. 5.
[349] Constans by Magnentius.
[350] Constantine the younger.
[351] Jovian: there were several other versions of his death. See
Gibbon, iv. 221 (Milman's edition). Chrysostom repeats this story in
Homily XV., ad Philipp.
[352] Gallus Cæsar (who never became Augustus) by Constantius.
[353] Widow of Jovian, whose son Varronianus had been deprived of one
eye (see Gibbon as above).
[354] Doubtful, possibly first wife of Valentinian I., divorced from
him and sent into exile.
[355] Constantia, wife of Gratian.
[356] Flacilla, wife of Theodosius. The two emperors who died natural
deaths were Constantine the Great, and his son Constantius. Compare
this mournful list with the celebrated passage in Shakespeare's
Richard II., act III. sc. 2. "For Heaven's sake let's sit upon the
ground And tell sad stories of the death of kings," etc.
[357] See Introduction.
[358] The best account of the destruction of the Emperor Valens and
his army in the battle of Hadrianople A.D. 378, is to be found in
Hodgkin's "Italy and her Invaders," vol. i. pp. 120-6 (Clarendon
Press, Oxford).
[359] Krates was a cynic philosopher, a disciple of Diogenes. He
flourished about 330 B.C. He was heir to a large fortune, but bestowed
the whole of it upon his native city Thebes. Diogenes Laertius relates
many curious stories about him.
[360] Ps. lv. 23.
[361] Ecclus. ii. 10.
[362] Ecclus. xviii. 26.
[363] Ecclus. xi. 5.
.

St. Chrysostom: Homilies on St. Ignatius and St. Babylas

Translated with introduction and notes by
Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A.,
Prebendary of Chichester, and Rector of Woolbeding, Sussex.

Introduction to the Homilies on St. Ignatius and St. Babylas

The following have been selected out of a large number delivered by
Chrysostom on the festivals of saints and martyrs, not only because
they are good samples of his discourses on such occasions, but also on
account of the celebrity of the two saints in whose honour they were
spoken. There is really very little known about Ignatius beyond the
fact that he was Bishop of Antioch, and suffered martyrdom at Rome in
the reign of Trajan about the year 110 a.d.: being torn to death by
wild beasts in the colossal amphitheatre erected for the display of
such inhuman sports by the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. The
tradition that he was a disciple of St. John does not rest on any
trustworthy evidence, but on the other hand there is nothing
inherently impossible or even improbable in the supposition.

According to a tradition which cannot be traced back earlier than the
latter part of the fourth century the reliques were translated from
Rome to Antioch and deposited in the Christian cemetery outside the
gates called the Daphnitic gate, because it led from the city to the
famous suburb of Daphne, on which we shall have more to say presently.
It is clear from the following eulogy that Chrysostom accepted this
tradition, and his repeated invitation to his hearers to "come hither"
to enjoy the beneficent influence of the saint seems to imply that his
discourse was delivered in the "martyr," that is the chapel erected to
contain the martyr's remains, not in the "Great Church" of Antioch
where he commonly preached. In the next generation the reliques of the
saint were again translated by the Emperor, the younger Theodosius, to
the building which had been the temple of the "Fortune of Antioch,"
and then the illustrious Christian martyr was substituted for the
mythical goddess on the tutelary genius of the city.

The fame of S. Babylas rivalled and for a time almost threatened to
overshadow that of S. Ignatius. He had been Bishop of Antioch about
237 to 250. The heroic courage with which he had once repulsed the
Emperor Philip from the church until he should have submitted to
penance for some offence committed, and his martyrdom in the
persecution under Decius were his original claims to popular
veneration. But some later events shed a fresh lustre on his name. In
the year 351 the Cæsar Gallus, brother of Julian, being resident in
Antioch, transferred the reliques of Babylas from their resting place
within the city to the beautiful suburb the garden or grove of Daphne.
"In the history of this spot we have a singular instance of the way in
which Grecian legend was transplanted into foreign soil. Daphne the
daughter of the river-god Ladon were according to the Syrian version
of the myth, overtaken by her lover Apollo near Antioch. Here it was,
on the banks not of the Peneus but of the Oronete, that the maiden
prayed to her mother earth to open her arms and shelter her from the
pursuit of the amorous god, and that the laurel plant sprang out of
the spot where she vanished from the eyes of her disappointed lover.
The house of Seleucus Nicator, founder of the Syrian monarchy was said
to have struck his hoof upon one of the arrows dropped by Apollo in
the hurry of his pursuit; in consequence of which the king dedicated
the place to the god. A temple was erected in his honour, ample in its
proportions, sumptuous in its adornments; the internal walls were
resplendent with polished marbles, the lofty ceiling was of cypress
wood. The colossal image of the god, enriched with gold and gems,
nearly reached the top of the roof. * * * With one hand the deity
lightly touched the lyre which hung from his shoulders and in the
other he held a golden dish, as if about to pour a libation on the
earth "and supplicate the venerable mother to give to his arms the
cold and beauteous Daphne." [364] The whole grove became consecrated
to pleasure under the guise of festivity in honor of the god. * * * It
contained everything which could gratify and charm the senses; the
deep impenetrable shade of cypress trees, the delicious noise and
coolness of falling waters, the fragrance of aromatic shrubs; there
were also baths, and grottos, porticoes, and colonnades. Such
materials for voluptuous enjoyment told with fatal effect upon the
morals of a people addicted at all times to an immoderate indulgence
in luxurious pleasure. [365] Daphne became one of those places where
gross and shameless vice was practised under the sanction of religion.
The intention of Cæsar Gallus in translating the reliques of Babylas
to Daphne was as Chrysostom expresses it to "bring a physician to the
sick;" to introduce a pure and Christian association into a spot
hitherto consecrated to Pagan and licentious rites. The bones of the
saint were laid near the shrine of Apollo, and the Christian church
standing hard by the heathen temple was a visible warning to any
Christian who might visit the place to abstain from deeds abhorrent to
the faith for which the bishop had died. But the remains of the martyr
were not permitted to rest in peace. When the Emperor Julian visited
Antioch 362, he consulted the oracle of Apollo at Daphne respecting
the issue of the expedition which he was about to make into Persia.
But the oracle was dumb. At length the god yielded to the importunity
of prayers and sacrifices so far as to explain the cause of his
silence. He was offended by the proximity of dead men. "Break open the
sepulchres, take up the bones, and carry them hence." No name was
mentioned, but the demand was interpreted as referring to the remains
of Babylas, and the wishes of the affronted deity were complied with.
The Christians were commanded by Julian to remove the bones of their
saint from the neighbourhood of Apollo's sanctuary. They obeyed, but
what was intended to be a humiliation was converted into a triumph.
The reliques were conveyed to their resting place within the city as
in a kind of festive procession, accompanied by crowds along the whole
way, four or five miles, chanting the words of the Psalm, "Confounded
be all they that worship carved images and delight in vain gods." In
vain were some of the Christians seized and tortured. The popularity
of the saint grew in proportion as Julian tried to put it down; and
the insults done to him were speedily avenged. A fire, mysterious in
its origin, broke out soon after the removal of the martyr's reliques
in the shrine of Apollo, consuming the roof of the building, and the
statue of the god. At the time when Chrysostom preached, about twenty
years later, the columns and walls were still standing, the melancholy
wreck serving as a memorial and witness of the judgment which had
fallen upon the place.

The remains of Babylas were not brought back to Daphne, but removed
from the city to a magnificent church built to receive them on the
other side of Orontes. Near the close of his discourse Chrysostom
refers to the erection of this church and to the zeal of the Bishop
Meletius in promoting it, who actually took part in the work with his
own hands, as we are told that Hugh did in the building of the Minster
at Lincoln. But although the body of the martyr rested elsewhere, his
spirit and influence were supposed to inhabit in a special manner the
spot where he had put the heathen deity to silence and shame, and to
confer blessings on the pilgrims who resorted in crowds to his martyr
in Daphne. The ruined and deserted temple indeed, and the well
preserved Christian church thronged with worshippers, standing as they
did side by side, formed a striking emblem of the two religions to
which they were devoted--the one destined to crumble and vanish away,
the other to endure and conquer.

Footnotes

Homilies on St. Ignatius and St. Babylas.

On the holy martyr Saint Ignatius, the god-bearer, [366] arch-bishop
of Antioch the great, who was carried off to Rome, and there suffered
martyrdom, and thence was conveyed back again to Antioch.

1. Sumptuous and splendid entertainers give frequent and constant
entertainments, alike to display their own wealth, and to show
good-will to their acquaintance. So also the grace of the Spirit,
affording us a proof of his own power, and displaying much good-will
towards the friends of God, sets before us successively and constantly
the tables of the martyrs. Lately, for instance, a maiden quite young,
and unmarried, the blessed martyr Pelagia, entertained us, with much
joy. To-day again, this blessed and noble martyr Ignatius has
succeeded to her feast. The persons are different: The table is one.
The wrestlings are varied: The crown is one. The contests are
manifold: The prize is the same. For in the case of the heathen
contests, since the tasks are bodily, men alone are, with reason,
admitted. But here, since the contest is wholly concerning the soul,
the lists are open to each sex, for each kind the theatre is arranged.
Neither do men alone disrobe, in order that the women may not take
refuge in the weakness of their nature, and seem to have a plausible
excuse, nor have women only quitted themselves like men, lest the race
of men be put to shame; but on this side and on that many are
proclaimed conquerors, and are crowned, in order that thou mayest
learn by means of the exploits themselves that in Christ Jesus neither
male nor female, [367] neither sex, nor weakness of body, nor age, nor
any such thing could be a hindrance to those who run in the course of
religion; if there be a noble readiness, and an eager mind, and a fear
of God, fervent and kindling, be established in our souls. On this
account both maidens and women, and men, both young and old, and
slaves, and freemen, and every rank, and every age, and each sex,
disrobe for those contests, and in no respect suffer harm, since they
have brought a noble purpose to these wrestlings. The season then
already calls us to discourse of the mighty works of this saint. But
our reckoning is disturbed and confused, not knowing what to say
first, what second, what third, so great a multitude of things calling
for eulogy surrounds us, on every side; and we experience the same
thing as if any one went into a meadow, and seeing many a rosebush and
many a violet, and an abundance of lilies, and other spring flowers
manifold and varied, should be in doubt what he should look at first,
what second, since each of those he saw invites him to bestow his
glances on itself. For we too, coming to this spiritual meadow of the
mighty works of Ignatius, and beholding not the flowers of spring, but
the manifold and varied fruit of the spirit in the soul of this man,
are confused and in perplexity, not knowing to which we are first to
give our consideration, as each of the things we see draws us away
from its neighbours, and entices the eye of the soul to the sight of
its own beauty. For see, he presided over the Church among us nobly,
and with such carefulness as Christ desires. For that which Christ
declared to be the highest standard and rule of the Episcopal office,
did this man display by his deeds. For having heard Christ saying, the
good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep, [368] with all
courage he did lay it down for the sheep.

He held true converse with the apostles and drank of spiritual
fountains. What kind of person then is it likely that he was who had
been reared, and who had everywhere held converse with them, and had
shared with them truths both lawful and unlawful to utter, and who
seemed to them worthy of so great a dignity? The time again came on,
which demanded courage; and a soul which despised all things present,
glowed with Divine love, and valued things unseen before the things
which are seen; and he lay aside the flesh with as much ease as one
would put off a garment. What then shall we speak of first? The
teaching of the apostles which he gave proof of throughout, or his
indifference to this present life, or the strictness of his virtue,
with which he administered his rule over the Church; which shall we
first call to mind? The martyr or the bishop or the apostle. For the
grace of the spirit having woven a threefold crown, thus bound it on
his holy head, yea rather a manifold crown. For if any one will
consider them carefully, he will find each of the crowns, blossoming
with other crowns for us.

2. And if you will, let us come first to the praise of his episcopate.
Does this seem to be one crown alone? come, then, let us unfold it in
speech, and you will see both two, and three, and more produced from
it. For I do not wonder at the man alone that he seemed to be worthy
of so great an office, but that he obtained this office from those
saints, and that the hands of the blessed apostles touched his sacred
head. For not even is this a slight thing to be said in his praise,
nor because he won greater grace from above, nor only because they
caused more abundant energy of the Spirit to come upon him, but
because they bore witness that every virtue possessed by man was in
him. Now how this is, I tell you. Paul writing to Titus once on a
time--and when I say Paul, I do not speak of him alone, but also of
Peter and James and John, and the whole band of them; for as in one
lyre, the strings are different strings, but the harmony is one, so
also in the band of the apostles the persons are different, but the
teaching is one, since the artificer is one, I mean the Holy Spirit,
who moves their souls, and Paul showing this said, "Whether therefore
they, or I, so we preach." [369] This man, then, writing to Titus, and
showing what kind of man the bishop ought to be, says, "For the bishop
must be blameless as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry,
no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but given to
hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, temperate,
holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching, that
he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict
the gainsayers;" [370] and to Timothy again, when writing upon this
subject, he says somewhat like this: "If a man seeketh the office of a
bishop, he desireth a good work. The bishop, therefore, must be
without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded,
orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach, no brawler, no striker,
but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money. Dost thou see what
strictness of virtue he demands from the bishop? For as some most
excellent painter from life, having mixed many colors, if he be about
to furnish an original likeness of the royal form, works with all
accuracy, so that all who are copying it, and painting from it, may
have a likeness accurately drawn, so accordingly the blessed Paul, as
though painting some royal likeness, and furnishing an original sketch
of it, having mixed the different colors of virtue, has painted in the
features of the office of bishop complete, in order that each of those
who mount to that dignity, looking thereupon, may administer their own
affairs with just such strictness.

Boldly, therefore, would I say that Ignatius took an accurate
impression of the whole of this, in his own soul; and was blameless
and without reproach, and neither self-willed, nor soon angry, nor
given to wine, nor a striker, but gentle, not contentious, no lover of
money, just, holy, temperate, holding to the faithful word which is
according to the teaching, sober, sober-minded, orderly, and all the
rest which Paul demanded. "And what is the proof of this?" says one.
They who said these things ordained him, and they who suggest to
others with so great strictness to make proof of those who are about
to mount to the throne of this office, would not themselves have done
this negligently. But had they not seen all this virtue planted in the
soul of this martyr would not have entrusted him with this office. For
they knew accurately how great danger besets those who bring about
such ordinations, carelessly and hap-hazard. And Paul again, when
showing this very thing to the same Timothy wrote and says, "Lay hands
suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins." [371]
What dost thou say? Has another sinned, and do I share his blame and
his punishment? Yes, says he, the man who authorizes evil; and just as
in the case of any one entrusting into the hands of a raging and
insane person a sharply pointed sword, with which the madman commits
murder, that man who gave the sword incurs the blame; so any one who
gives the authority which arises from this office to a man living in
evil, draws down on his own head all the fire of that man's sins and
audacity. For he who provides the root, this man is the cause of all
that springs from it on every side. Dost thou see how in the meanwhile
a double crown of the episcopate has appeared, and how the dignity of
those who ordained him has made the office more illustrious, bearing
witness to every exhibition of virtue in him?

3. Do you wish that I should also reveal to you another crown
springing from this very matter? Let us consider the time at which he
obtained this dignity. For it is not the same thing to administer the
Church now as then, just as it is not the same thing to travel along a
road well trodden, and prepared, after many wayfarers; and along one
about to be cut for the first time, and containing ruts, and stones,
and full of wild beasts, and which has never yet, received any
traveller. For now, by the grace of God, there is no danger for
bishops, but deep peace on all sides, and we all enjoy a calm, since
the Word of piety has been extended to the ends of the world, and our
rulers keep the faith with strictness. But then there was nothing of
this, but wherever any one might look, precipices and pitfalls, and
wars, and fightings, and dangers; both rulers, and kings, and people
and cities and nations, and men at home and abroad, laid snares for
the faithful. And this was not the only serious thing, but also the
fact that many of the believers themselves, inasmuch as they tasted
for the first time strange doctrines, stood in need of great
indulgence, and were still in a somewhat feeble condition and were
often upset. And this was a thing which used to grieve the teachers,
no less than the fightings without, nay rather much more. For the
fightings without, and the plottings, afforded much pleasure to them
on account of the hope of the rewards awaiting them. On this account
the apostles returned from the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing
because they had been beaten; [372] and Paul cries out, saying: "I
rejoice in my sufferings," [373] and he glories in his afflictions
everywhere. But the wounds of those at home, and the falls of the
brethren, do not suffer them to breathe again, but always, like some
most heavy yoke, continually oppress and afflict the neck of their
soul. Hear at least how Paul, thus rejoicing in sufferings, is
bitterly pained about these. "For who, saith he, is weak, and I am not
weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" [374] and again, "I fear lest
when I come I shall find you not such as I would, and I be found of
you such as ye would not," [375] and a little afterwards, "Lest when I
come again to you, God humble me, and I shall mourn many of those who
have sinned before, and have not repented of their uncleanness, and
wantonness, and fornication which they have committed." [376] And
throughout thou seest that he is in tears and lamentations on account
of members of the household, and evermore fearing and trembling for
the believers. Just as then we admire the pilot, not when he is able
to bring those who are on board safe to shore when the sea is calm,
and the ship is borne along by favourable winds, but when the deep is
raging and the waves contending, and the passengers themselves within
in revolt, and a great storm within and without besets those who are
on board, and he is able to steer the ship with all security; so we
ought to wonder at, and admire those who then had the Church committed
to their hands, much more than those who now have the management of
it; when there was a great war without and within, when the plant of
the faith was more tender, and needed much care, when, as a newly-born
babe, the multitude in the church required much forethought, and the
greatest wisdom in any soul destined to nurse it; and in order that ye
may more clearly learn, how great crowns they were worthy of, who then
had the Church entrusted to them, and how great work and danger there
was in undertaking the matter on the threshold and at the beginning,
and in being the first to enter upon it, I bring forward for you the
testimony of Christ, who pronounces a verdict on these things, and
confirms the opinion which has been expressed by me. For when he saw
many coming to him, and was wishing to show the apostles that the
prophets toiled more than they, he says: "Others have laboured, and ye
have entered into their labour." [377] And yet the apostles toiled
much more than the prophets. But since they first sowed the word of
piety, and won over the untaught souls of men to the truth, the
greater part of the work is credited to them. For it is by no means
the same thing for one to come and teach after many teachers, and
himself to be the first to sow seeds. For that which has been already
practised, and has become customary with many, would be easily
accepted; but that which is now for the first time heard, agitates the
mind of the hearers, and gives the teacher a great deal to do. This at
least it was which disturbed the audience at Athens, and on this
account they turned away from Paul, reproaching him with, "Thou
bringest certain strange things to our ears." [378] For if the
oversight of the Church now furnishes much weariness and work to those
who govern it, consider how double and treble and manifold was the
work then, when there were dangers and fighting and snares, and fear
continually. It is not possible to set forth in words the difficulty
which those saints then encountered, but he alone will know it who
comes to it by experience.

4. And I will speak of a fourth crown, arising for us out of this
episcopate. What then is this? The fact that he was entrusted with our
own native city. For it is a laborious thing indeed to have the
oversight of a hundred men, and of fifty alone. But to have on one's
hands so great a city, and a population extending to two hundred
thousand, of how great virtue and wisdom dost thou think there is a
proof? For as in the care of armies, the wiser of the generals have on
their hands the more leading and more numerous regiments, so,
accordingly, in the care of cities. The more able of the rulers are
entrusted with the larger and more populous. And at any rate this city
was of much account to God, as indeed He manifested by the very deeds
which He did. At all events the master of the whole world, Peter, to
whose hands He committed the keys of heaven, whom He commanded to do
and to bear all, He bade tarry here for a long period. Thus in His
sight our city was equivalent to the whole world. But since I have
mentioned Peter, I have perceived a fifth crown woven from him, and
this is that this man succeeded to the office after him. For just as
any one taking a great stone from a foundation hastens by all means to
introduce an equivalent to it, lest he should shake the whole
building, and make it more unsound, so, accordingly, when Peter was
about to depart from here, the grace of the Spirit introduced another
teacher equivalent to Peter, so that the building already completed
should not be made more unsound by the insignificance of the
successor. We have reckoned up then five crowns, from the importance
of the office, from the dignity of those who ordained to it, from the
difficulty of the time, from the size of the city, from the virtue of
him who transmitted the episcopate to him. Having woven all these, it
was lawful to speak of a sixth, and seventh, and more than these; but
in order that we may not, by spending the whole time on the
consideration of the episcopate, miss the details about the martyr,
come from this point, let us pass to that conflict. At one time a
grievous warfare was rekindled against the Church, and as though a
most grievous tyranny overspread the earth, all were carried off from
the midst of the market-place. Not indeed charged with anything
monstrous, but because being freed from error, they hastened to piety;
because they abstained from the service of demons, because they
recognized the true God, and worshipped his only begotten Son, and for
things for which they ought to have been crowned, and admired and
honoured, for these they were punished and encountered countless
tortures, all who embraced the faith, and much more they who had the
oversight of the churches. For the devil, being crafty, and apt to
contrive plots of this kind, expected that if he took away the
shepherds, he would easily be able to scatter the flocks. But He who
takes the wise in their craftiness, wishing to show him that men do
not govern His church, but that it is He himself who everywhere tends
those who believe on Him, agreed that this should be, that he might
see, when they were taken away, that the cause of piety was not
defeated, nor the word of preaching quenched, but rather increased;
that by these very works he might learn both himself, and all those
who minister to him, that our affairs are not of men, but that the
subject of our teaching has its root on high, from the heavens; and
that it is God who everywhere leads the Church, and that it is not
possible for him who fights against God, ever to win the day. But the
Devil did not only work this evil, but another also not less than
this. For not only in the cities over which they presided, did he
suffer the Bishops to be slaughtered; but he took them into foreign
territory and slew them; and he did this, in anxiety at once to take
them when destitute of friends, and hoping to render them weaker with
the toil of their journey, which accordingly he did with this saint.
For he called him away from our city to Rome, making the course twice
as long, expecting to depress his mind both by the length of the way
and the number of the days, and not knowing that having Jesus with
him, as a fellow traveller, and fellow exile on so long a journey, he
rather became the stronger, and afforded more proof of the power that
was with him, and to a greater degree knit the Churches together. For
the cities which were on the road running together from all sides,
encouraged the athlete, and sped him on his way with many supplies,
sharing in his conflict by their prayers, and intercessions. And they
derived no little comfort when they saw the martyr hastening to death
with so much readiness, as is consistent in one called to the realms
which are in the heaven, and by means of the works themselves, by the
readiness and by the joyousness of that noble man, that it was not
death to which he was hastening, but a kind of long journey and
migration from this world, and ascension to heaven; and he departed
teaching these things in every city, both by his words, and by his
deeds, and as happened in the case of the Jews, when they bound Paul,
and sent him to Rome, and thought that they were sending him to death,
they were sending a teacher to the Jews who dwelt there. This indeed
accordingly happened in the case of Ignatius in larger measure. For
not to those alone who dwell in Rome, but to all the cities lying in
the intervening space, he went forth as a wonderful teacher,
persuading them to despise the present life, and to think naught of
the things which are seen, and to love those which are to come, to
look towards heaven, and to pay no regard to any of the terrors of
this present life. For on this and on more than this, by means of his
works, he went on his way instructing them, as a sun rising from the
east, and hastening to the west. But rather more brilliant than this,
for this is wont to run on high, bringing material light, but Ignatius
shone below, imparting to men's souls the intellectual light of
doctrine. And that light on departing into the regions of the west, is
hidden and straightway causes the night to come on. But this on
departing to the regions of the west, shone there more brilliantly,
conferring the greatest benefits to all along the road. And when he
arrived at the city, even that he instructed in Christian wisdom. For
on this account God permitted him there to end his life, so that this
man's death might be instructive to all who dwell in Rome. For we by
the grace of God need henceforward no evidence, being rooted in the
faith. But they who dwelt in Rome, inasmuch as there was great impiety
there, required more help. On this account both Peter and Paul, and
this man after them, were all slain there, partly, indeed, in order
that they might purify with their own blood, the city which had been
defiled with blood of idols, and partly in order that they might by
their works afford a proof of the resurrection of the crucified
Christ, persuading those who dwell in Rome, that they would not with
so much pleasure disdain this present life, did they not firmly
persuade themselves that they were about to ascend to the crucified
Jesus, and to see him in the heavens. For in reality it is the
greatest proof of the resurrection that the slain Christ should show
forth so great power after death, as to persuade living men to despise
both country and home and friends, and acquaintance and life itself,
for the sake of confessing him, and to choose in place of present
pleasures, both stripes and dangers and death. For these are not the
achievements of any dead man, nor of one remaining in the tomb but of
one risen and living. Since how couldest thou account, when he was
alive, for all the Apostles who companied with him becoming weaker
through fear to betray their teachers and to flee and depart; but when
he died, for not only Peter and Paul, but even Ignatius, who had not
even seen him, nor enjoyed his companionship, showing such earnestness
as to lay down life itself for his sake?

5. In order then that all who dwell in Rome might learn that these
things are a reality, God allowed that there the saint should be
perfected, [379] and that this was the reason I will guarantee from
the very manner of his death. For not outside the walls, in a dungeon,
nor even in a court of justice, nor in some corner, did he receive the
sentence which condemned him, but in the midst of the theatre, while
the whole city was seated above him, he underwent this form of
martyrdom, wild beasts being let loose upon him, in order that he
might plant his trophy against the Devil, beneath the eyes of all, and
make all spectators emulous of his own conflicts. Not dying thus nobly
only, but dying even with pleasure. For not as though about to be
severed from life, but as called to a better and more spiritual life,
so he beheld the wild beasts gladly. Whence is this manifest? From the
words which he uttered when about to die, for when he heard that this
manner of punishment awaited him, "may I have joy," said he, "of these
wild beasts." [380] For such are the loving. For they receive with
pleasure whatever they may suffer for the sake of those who are
beloved, and they seem to have their desire satisfied when what
happens to them is more than usually grievous. Which happened,
therefore, in this man's case. For not by his death alone, but also by
his readiness he studied to emulate the apostles, and hearing that
they, after they had been scourged retired with joy, himself too
wished to imitate his teachers, not only by his death, but by his joy.
On this account he said, "may I have joy of thy wild beasts," and much
milder than the tongue of the tyrant did he consider the mouths of
these; and very reasonably. For while that invited him to Gehenna,
their mouths escorted him to a kingdom. When, therefore, he made an
end of life there, yea rather, when he ascended to heaven, he departed
henceforward crowned. For this also happened through the dispensation
of God, that he restored him again to us, and distributed the martyr
to the cities. For that city received his blood as it dropped, but ye
were honoured with his remains, ye enjoyed his episcopate, they
enjoyed his martyrdom. They saw him in conflict, and victorious, and
crowned, but ye have him continually. For a little time God removed
him from you, and with greater glory granted him again to you. And as
those who borrow money, return with interest what they receive, so
also God, using this valued treasure of yours, for a little while, and
having shown it to that city, with greater brilliancy gave it back to
you. Ye sent forth a Bishop, and received a martyr; ye sent him forth
with prayers, and ye received him with crowns; and not only ye, but
all the cities which intervene. For how do ye think that they behaved
when they saw his remains being brought back? What pleasure was
produced! how they rejoiced! with what applause on all sides they
beset the crowned one! For as with a noble athlete, who has wrestled
down all his antagonists, and who comes forth with radiant glory from
the arena, the spectators receive him, and do not suffer him to tread
the earth, bringing him home on their shoulders, and besetting him
with countless praises: so also the cities in order receiving this
saint then from Rome, and bearing him upon their shoulders as far as
this city, escorted the crowned one with praises, celebrating the
champion, in song; laughing the Devil to scorn, because his artifice
was turned against him, and what he thought to do against the martyr,
this turned out for his behoof. Then, indeed, he profited, and
encouraged all the cities; and from that time to this day he enriches
this city, and as some perpetual treasure, drawn upon every day, yet
not failing, makes all who partake of it more prosperous, so also this
blessed Ignatius filleth those who come to him with blessings, with
boldness, nobleness of spirit, and much courage, and so sendeth them
home.

Not only to-day, therefore, but every day let us go forth to him,
plucking spiritual fruits from him. For it is, it is possible for him
who comes hither with faith to gather the fruit of many good things.
For not the bodies only, but the very sepulchres of the saints have
been filled with spiritual grace. For if in the case of Elisha this
happened, and a corpse when it touched the sepulchre, burst the bands
of death and returned to life again, [381] much rather now, when grace
is more abundant, when the energy of the spirit is greater, is it
possible that one touching a sepulchre, with faith, should win great
power; thence on this account God allowed us the remains of the
saints, wishing to lead by them us to the same emulation, and to
afford us a kind of haven, and a secure consolation for the evils
which are ever overtaking us. Wherefore I beseech you all, if any is
in despondency, if in disease, if under insult, if in any other
circumstance of this life, if in the depth of sins, let him come
hither with faith, and he will lay aside all those things, and will
return with much joy, having procured a lighter conscience from the
sight alone. But more, it is not only necessary that those who are in
affliction should come hither, but if any one be in cheerfulness, in
glory, in power, in much assurance towards God, let not this man
despise the benefit. For coming hither and beholding this saint, he
will keep these noble possessions unmoved, persuading his own soul to
be moderate by the recollection of this man's mighty deeds, and not
suffering his conscience by the mighty deeds to be lifted up to any
self conceit. And it is no slight thing for those in prosperity not to
be puffed up at their good fortune, but to know how to bear their
prosperity with moderation, so that the treasure is serviceable to
all, the resting place is suitable, for the fallen, in order that they
may escape from their temptations, for the fortunate, that their
success may remain secure, for those in weakness indeed, that they may
return to health, and for the healthy, that they may not fall into
weakness. Considering all which things, let us prefer this way of
spending our time, to all delight, all pleasure, in order that
rejoicing at once, and profiting, we may be able to become partakers
with these saints, both of their dwelling and of their home, through
the prayers of the saints themselves, through the grace and
lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the
Father with the Holy Spirit, now and always forever and ever amen.